GUWAHATI, Jan 5 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today assured a delegation of the All Assam Students� Union (AASU) that he would arrange for a tripartite meeting at the political level involving the Central and state governments and AASU to review the implementation of the Assam Accord. He also assured that he would have a meeting with the AASU and representatives of the ethnic groups of the State on implementation of Clause 6 of the Accord.
Talking to The Assam Tribune this evening, AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said that a delegation of the student body met the Chief Minister today and had discussions on various issues concerning the people of the State. The AASU demanded that the Central and state governments should announce a time-bound action plan for implementation of various clauses of the Accord.
The AASU delegation demanded that the government should take immediate and effective steps for detection and deportation of foreigners living illegally in the State. The responsibility of the State Government in this regard increased as the Centre recently made it clear that the state governments have been empowered to detect foreigners. The AASU also demanded that immediate and effective steps be taken to seal the international border with Bangladesh and the Chief Minister told the AASU office-bearers that the State Government has already decided to strengthen the second line of defence to improve surveillance along the border.
The AASU demanded that the State Government should play a positive role in updating the NRC and said that a foolproof mechanism should be evolved to ensure that no foreign national can include his or her name in the NRC with forged documents.
Reiterating its demand for providing constitutional protection to the indigenous people of the State under the provisions of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, the AASU said that the report given by the former Assam Assembly Speaker can be used as the basis for it. Sonowal assured the delegation that he would have talks with the AASU and representatives of the ethnic groups on the issue.
The AASU made it clear that it would not accept the move to amend the Citizenship Act and asserted that Assam would not take the burden of foreigners who came after the midnight of March 24, 1971. The student body further demanded a special package for the development of Barak Valley, hill districts and Guwahati city.
